Vital records office in South Dakota
How to obtain certified copies of birth, death, marriage, and divorce certificates from South Dakota for immigration filings, USCIS evidence, school enrollment, or any other purpose.
South Dakota
Minus
Related Pages
Birth
Event: Birth Cost of copy: $15.00 Address: Vital Records 221 W Capitol Ave Pierre SD 57501 Remarks: State office has records filed after July 1905. Personal check or money order should be made payable to South Dakota Department of Health . To verify current fees the telephone number is (605) 773-4961 . Information on how to obtain certified copies is also available via the internet at the South Dakota Department of Health website . Mail-in applicants must send in a clear copy of a government-issued photo ID OR have their signature notarized. Death
Event: Death Cost of copy: $15.00 Address: Vital Records 221 W Capitol Ave Pierre SD 57501 Remarks: State office has records filed after July 1905. Personal check or money order should be made payable to South Dakota Department of Health . To verify current fees the telephone number is (605) 773-4961 . Information on how to obtain certified copies is also available via the internet at the South Dakota Department of Health website . Mail-in applicants must send in a clear copy of a government-issued photo ID OR have their signature notarized. Marriage
Event: Marriage Cost of copy: $15.00 Address: Vital Records 221 W Capitol Ave Pierre SD 57501 Remarks: Records since July 1905. Marriages can also be obtained from the County Register of Deeds where the marriage occurred. Divorce
Event: Divorce Cost of copy: $15.00 Address: Vital Records 221 W Capitol Ave Pierre SD 57501 Remarks: Records since July 1905. Divorces can also be obtained from the Clerk of Courts in the county where the divorce was granted.
Last Reviewed: November 6, 2015 Source: National Center for Health Statistics
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South Dakota vital records office details
- CDC W2W (Where to Write) page: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w/south_dakota.htm
Why immigrants need certified vital records
USCIS, courts, schools, and many other US agencies require certified vital records (not photocopies) for:
- I-130 family petition — birth certificate proves family relationship
- I-485 adjustment of status — birth certificate of applicant and beneficiaries
- N-400 naturalization — marriage certificate if applying under spouse-of-USC 3-year rule
- Apostille — for use of US documents in foreign countries (your home country may require US apostille)
- School enrollment — proof of date of birth
- Real ID applications — proof of identity
Apostille and authentication
If you need to use a South Dakota vital record OUTSIDE the United States (e.g., for use at your home country’s consulate), you typically need an apostille from the South Dakota Secretary of State’s office. See /procedures/apostille-document/ for the process.
Related procedural information
- Consulate of your country in the US — your home country’s transcription/legalization of US records
- Translate documents for USCIS — certified-translation standard
- Apostille (document legalization) — for use abroad
- USCIS Form I-130 — family petition — uses vital records as evidence
- USCIS Form N-400 — naturalization — vital records for marriage-based 3-year rule
Last verified: 2026-05-27. General procedural information — not legal advice. Fees and processing times change; verify with the South Dakota office.
